April 8, 2022
- For Immediate Release
- For more information contact:
- Mike Rhodes
- Executive Director
- Community Alliance Newspaper
- www.fresnoalliance.com
- mikerhodes@fresnoalliance.com
- (559) 978-4502
We at the Community Alliance newspaper are deeply saddened by the recent conflict with the Fresno County Democratic Party. We have shared a long history of joining together in the fight for social, economic and environmental justice in our San Joaquin Valley.
Independent media is an essential pillar of a fair and democratic society and plays a key watchdog role in promoting transparency and holding elected officials accountable to those that elect them.
On April 6, 2022 the Fresno County Democratic Central Committee voted to ban the Community Alliance newspaper from their office and at any events they hold. This action was taken because we would not ban Kevin Hall as a writer for this newspaper. Submitting to the demand to ban Kevin would violate our core principle of being an independent publication. We can’t allow anyone to dictate what content is included in the paper. If we went down that slippery slope, it would undermine the key role that independent media plays in the functioning of an open democratic society.
The Community Alliance newspaper has reiterated our policy to the Democratic Party and their members that if they find a factual error in our paper, let us know and we will correct it. Also, they have an open invitation to send us articles if they wish to put forth their viewpoint on local political issues.
We are disappointed in the current turn of events and hope for better relations in the future.
